"Eh…?"
Everyone's jaws practically hit the ground.
Kuma looked completely stunned. "M-Me… your companion?"
He never expected that the "muscle giant" who had appeared out of nowhere would not only return the Paw-Paw Fruit to him…
But also invite him to become a companion.
For a moment, his brain just stopped working.
Beside him, Ivankov immediately shoved him, snapping the dazed Kuma back to reality.
"Kuma! Don't space out! This is our best chance to get off God Valley!"
A monster like Ares, plus Kaido and Sladra…
Ivankov was convinced that if they followed Ares, they would definitely make it out alive.
Wasn't it obvious?
Even that Celestial Dragon and that giant woman had been pinned down by this muscle-bound beast of a man!
Ginny also pleaded softly, "Kuma… you see it too. With our strength, we can't escape the Celestial Dragons' claws…"
While they were urging Kuma
Linlin's eyes filled with confusion.
"What is wrong with this guy Ares now?!"
"Inviting a kid to be his companion…"
She couldn't understand his behavior at all, and could only conclude that something was off in Ares' head.
After all…
In her eyes, Ares was a "madman."
No
"Demon-mad" fit him better.
Even Kaido and Sladra couldn't make sense of what Ares was doing.
Kaido muttered, "What's going on with Big Bro Ares? He feels… different from before."
The sea monster Sladra picked up the thought. "I feel it too. He seems calmer, more steady… more planned."
"No matter what, I'll believe in Ares," Kaido said.
Then he nodded hard again.
Choosing unconditional trust.
At that moment…
Garling looked genuinely baffled.
"Blood Hand Ares… what kind of man is he?"
He not only handed a priceless Paw-Paw Fruit to a slave
He even wanted to invite that slave, someone he could crush like an ant, to become his companion!
But…
The act of giving the Paw-Paw Fruit to a slave was something Garling simply could not tolerate.
A lowly slave like that…
How could they possibly deserve a "god" Devil Fruit meant only for Celestial Dragons!?
Kill.
Even if he couldn't kill Ares…
He would still kill that slave!
Shing!
A sword hummed.
Garling slashed instantly
A crescent-shaped blade wave dozens of meters long carved the ground open and tore forward.
Its target was Kuma!
"Get lost!" Ares roared, deafening.
His arm, swollen with bulging muscle, drove a punch forward.
The sheer brute force shattered the flying slash like glass.
Those feral eyes flashed with a terrifying, soul-crushing savagery as Ares barked,
"Kuma is a companion I, Ares, have acknowledged."
"No one touches him!"
The words dripped dominance.
And they hit Kuma like a warm удар to the heart.
His expression shook.
Heat surged through his chest.
He didn't hesitate anymore.
"I… I'm willing to be your companion."
Ares turned his head and laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! Good!"
"From now on, you're my companion!"
"A-Ares… big brother." Kuma said it awkwardly, then hurriedly asked, "Ares, Big Brother… can you also help take care of my two friends? They're good people."
"We were going to find the fruit… then escape the island together."
Ares glanced at Ivankov and Ginny.
"Don't worry. With me here, I won't let anything happen to you."
"Hey, hey!" Kaido grinned. "I'm Kaido. If Big Bro Ares recognizes you as a companion, then you're our companion too!"
Afraid he might scare Kuma, Sladra only said a short line.
"My name is Sladra."
Ivankov and Ginny instantly felt their hearts lift.
Safety was finally within reach.
Seeing Ares ignore him…
Garling's fury boiled over.
And if he didn't go all out now, the Paw-Paw Fruit would be eaten by that slave at any second.
Whoosh!
Garling vanished from where he stood.
Ares sensed it and warned Kaido immediately, "Watch them. Don't let them get hurt!"
"Crimson Armament: Lion King Fist!"
Facing the incoming blade, Ares answered with a fierce, domineering punch.
CLANG!
A ripple visible to the naked eye spread through the air.
Garling's long sword felt like it had struck an unbreakable wall
The blade bent, visibly, inch by inch.
Garling jolted and yanked his sword back, retreating fast.
"Blood Hand…"
"Name fits."
"That kind of brute force… you can't meet it head-on!"
Only after tasting Ares' power again did Garling truly understand where the title "Blood Hand" came from.
Ares didn't chase.
He only urged, "Kuma, eat the Paw-Paw Fruit. That ability might help us a lot next."
Hearing it could help Ares, Kuma opened his mouth without a second thought.
"Stop!!"
The shout didn't come from Garling
It came from Linlin.
She leapt in, swinging Napoleon, and demanded, "Ares! You're really giving that fruit to a brat!?"
"Linlin… are you trying to stop me?" Ares' tiger eyes flared with scarlet light.
In an instant, he entered his hybrid dragon form.
Hard blue scales spread across his body, reflecting light like armor.
Dragon horns rose from his head.
He looked like a demon.
"Azure Dragon Fist Art: Dragon Roar Shockwave!"
Ares punched.
The air trembled violently, rings of ripples expanding from his fist.
BOOM!
One blow forced Linlin back
And Garling's follow-up arrived immediately, several cold flashes cutting through the air in rapid succession.
Linked. Layered.
Ares lifted a hand and grabbed.
A sharp dragon claw tore the air apart.
"Styleless Sword: Azure Dragon Claw Slash Wave!"
Several fierce green slashes intercepted Garling's attacks, blocking them cleanly.
Linlin and Garling could only glare
Forced to watch, helpless, as Kuma swallowed the Paw-Paw Fruit.
Gulp
Kuma's face turned a bruised blue-purple. Sweat poured.
He had just been hit by Oda's cruel joke: Devil Fruits tasted unbelievably disgusting.
The massive fruit bulged his throat high as it slid down…
Then dropped into his stomach.
The next second, Kuma felt his hands itching.
He looked down and gasped.
"Eh my hands… they grew pads!!"
Ginny's gem-like eyes widened. "They really did! Like bear paws! Kuma, you're seriously 'Kuma' now!"
"Let me see, let me see!" Ivankov hopped up, instantly spotting the pink pads on Kuma's palms.
At the same time, Kuma began to understand his power.
"My hands… can repel everything…"
"So this… is the power of a Devil Fruit?"
"That's right." Ares looked at Kuma and said, "Not just physical things. You can even repel pain… and souls."
Then he turned to Sladra.
"Sladra, come here. Let Kuma test his ability."
Sladra, who trusted Ares completely, walked right up to Kuma.
Ares said to Kuma, "Use your bear paw. Pat the pain and injuries out of his body."
"Can I?" Kuma asked, curious.
"You can."
With Ares' certainty behind him, Kuma slowly raised his hand.
Using the soft pad in his palm, he gently pressed it against Sladra's body.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster!
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"